Ask Archie 6/9/2011

Thursday

Jun 9, 2011 at 9:00 AM

Dear Archie- I don稚 know if you池e for real, but I知 going to give it a shot anyway悠知 pretty sure I知 gay (I知 a 14-year-old guy), and if my family and friends ever found out, it would kill them. I feel like I知 living the biggest lie of my life, and sometimes I feel like a failure at life. I feel alone. Please help.

Dear Archie- I don&rsquo;t know if you&rsquo;re for real, but I&rsquo;m going to give it a shot anyway&mdash;I&rsquo;m pretty sure I&rsquo;m gay (I&rsquo;m a 14-year-old guy), and if my family and friends ever found out, it would kill them. I feel like I&rsquo;m living the biggest lie of my life, and sometimes I feel like a failure at life. I feel alone. Please help. &mdash; Sissy in (Town withheld)

Yes I am real, but listen to me carefully: When we are teenagers the world feels small&mdash;our problems, worries and troubles seem gigantic. Hang in there.&nbsp; Trust me, high school gets better, seek out people who would make good friends and don&rsquo;t judge yourself on how many friends you have&mdash;one good friend can make all the difference in the world. When I was a kid I was definitely a loner, but I took comfort in the few friendships I had.

Focus on positives and stay away from negatives&mdash;and that includes the Internet. Don&rsquo;t feel like you&rsquo;re living a lie. I didn&rsquo;t reveal where you come from because sometimes small towns can be very judgmental. At 14, it might not be time to make a stand, instead focus on finding things that make you happy and concentrate on them. You&rsquo;ll make yourself a stronger person, then when you&rsquo;re ready to &lsquo;come out&rsquo; to your family and friends (think junior year in college), you&rsquo;ll be better equipped to deal with whatever drama results.&nbsp; And remember, if someone loves you, they accept you no matter what. Don&rsquo;t let small minds get you down. The world is a giant place filled with great people; you&rsquo;ve only just begun to meet a few of them. &nbsp;

Depends on whether or not you have any duck sauce!&nbsp; Ha!&nbsp; I kid!&nbsp; There are cat people, and there are dog people and never the twain shall meet. Personally, I have a cat but mostly because I don&rsquo;t like the bother of walking a dog in these New England winters.

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Hey Archie- My wife and I are new to the area&mdash;can you clue us in to the great places Worcester has to offer? &mdash; Newbies on Newbury Street

Welcome to the Big Woo&mdash;Worcester Mag&rsquo;s BEST OF ISSUE might still be around [online!]&mdash;that&rsquo;s a great place to start. Off the top of my head, I&rsquo;d recommend Ralph&rsquo;s on Grove Street for burgers and people-watching, The Bean Counter on Highland for coffee, The Corner Grille on Pleasant Street for pizza like you can&rsquo;t imagine, and The Futon Company on Highland Street for funky furniture. Get out and explore!